I really like street photography and did it quite a lot in the early days, just going out and seeing what can happen. The thing with street photography is the moment, being there and just do it! This is where I struggle, the moment, the people, the wait or being assertive. It’s hard, but can be rewarding as well.

I think the cover photo already spoiled it. My first real wildlife encounter was with foxes in the dunes. This was before I got the birding virus. The curiosity, daring and cunning behaviour of foxes always attracted me to get them photographed within their habitat as naturally as possible. This was a challenge years ago, but doable in the dunes. However lately they are more scarce. Mainly due to the more people that are photographing them, even feeding them (which is now prohibited), but I think they are hiding further and further away in the dunes as it became more and more crowed after 2020 with people.

Time to get to Girona to do some cycling, although not bringing a camera is not an option. This week was about cycling, getting to experience the north of Spain and when possible do some photography as well. The main photography was done in and around Girona in the old town, which I stayed in. A bit noisy, but the place to be, although needed to carry the bike up the stairs every time.

A weekend escape just the two of us, going on a hike and bird watching from a special photo hide, a hut so to say, in the east of The Netherlands. The bird watching spot is situated in the area of the Sallandse heuvelrug, therefor we also decided to do a day hike there and as it’s quite a drive we decided to stay the weekend, nice!

Staycation in the Netherlands, or better, a nice vacation with family in times of Covid-19 that turned out to be a really fun and relaxing one! This year no mountains and epic hikes or glaciers at you doorstep, but a relaxing Dutch landscape and family around. In search of wildlife and especially birds.

So going through photo’s recently I discovered that I love golden hour, but who doesn’t as a landscape photographer. However I’m not so much a blue-purple hour photographer i.e. the time between golden hour and blue hour. Man - all those hours, by the way a big tip, they’re not actually hours, so be aware.

So this blog post is an oldie, winter photography in the dunes, where I was in search of deer and foxes with the Fujinon 100-400mm lens. Started to enjoy this lens more and more. Really looking forwards to whatever the X-H2 would offer.

When times are difficult of stressful I always tend to go back to what I really love to do. That is photography and cycling. However where cycling is still possible in the Netherlands, going out in nature is still a bit of a problem as too many people do this, especially with the nice weather of the last weeks.

This was on our wish list for a while now. Travel to Lapland, above the arctic circle, experience the snow and the cold, the wide open space and nature. Also, snowshoeing, dogsledding, going out in the wilderness with snowmobiles had also something to do with wanting to go to Lapland.